Whitewing

I looked the worn-out sheet of paper up and down once more and sighed. Over the past couple of days, Birchfall, Sandstorm, Jayfeather and I had scribbled little notes all over it (well, Jayfeather had shared his ideas) and we still had almost no clue what it meant.

I'm not saying we were totally helpless; it was pretty clear that a silver-lit girl was supposed to grant the Dark Forest eternal darkness and evil and stuff, but knowing that didn't matter if we couldn't even stop it. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, the familiar feeling of fear for my best friend creeping back.

One of the first things Jayfeather had suggested was that Ivypool could be the silver figure the "prophecy" spoke of, but I shot that idea down. It couldn't be Ivypool, right? I mean, she was infiltrating the Dark Forest! She couldn't side with them!

"There's a difference between 'couldn't' and 'could but I don't wanna believe it,'" a voice sounded from beside my ear.

I turned my head in surprise and found myself staring into Jayfeather's sightless blue eyes. "What- how did you-?" I sputtered.

He shrugged. "It's not hard to guess what you're thinking. You're best friends with Ivypool and you trust her, but prophecies are never wrong."

"Never wrong? According to what resource?" I growled, determined to prove him wrong. Ivypool was on our side, she'd never betray us!

Jayfeather shrugged again. "Books. Movies. TV shows."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know from movies and tv shows."

"'There's a difference between 'blind' and 'deaf,'" he snapped.

"'There's a difference between 'fantasy' and 'reality,'" I retorted.

"Getting proof and riding on fluff."

"Being smart and being stupid."

"Solving the problem and pointlessly bickering everyone's ears off!" Sandstorm snarled.

Jayfeather and I both turned to glare at her but neither of us said anything. Nobody messes with Sandstorm for two main reasons: when she's not mad, she's the sweetest person on the island. And she's Firestar's girlfriend, who's the captain of the football team, an honor student, and the most popular boy in the school.

"Sandstorm's right," Birchfall said. "We're still nowhere closer to figuring this out than when we started."

I sighed again. "I know, it's just... well... it's been days and we're getting nowhere. These notes aren't any help at all."

Sandstorm glanced ruefully at the sketches and packed tiny print scrolled across the page. "...We'll take a break for now. Dovewing called another meeting anyway. A new message."

I immediatly perked up. A new message meant Ivypool was probably still okay, since only she ever came to the camera. I grabbed the sheet of paper before swinging open the door and stepping into the hallway with the other three right behind me. Together, we hurried towards Dovewing's dorm where everyone else was already waiting. I was slightly satisfyed that Breezepelt wasn't here or he would've complained about us being late.

"Took you long enough," said a gruff voice as I entered. Oh, yeah. And Crowfeather. He complains too.

"Shhhh," Nightcloud hissed, earning herself a glare from Crowfeather.

Dovewing clapped her hands to get our attention before speaking. "Leafpool and I watched this footage just before you all got here and I have to say, it's... different. Unexpected." She pressed a button on her keyboard and everyone turned their heads towards the TV.

It showed a female figure emerging from the trees, clad in black with short silver hair. Did Ivypool get a haircut? I wondered. Last time I checked, Ivypool's hair was long enough to make a ponytail. This girl's hair didn't even make it to her chin. I froze. That... that wasn't Ivypool. She didn't have my friend's deep blue eyes and proud scowl. Her eyes were a pale crystal blue and her grumpy sneer was another thing entirely.

Around the room, I heard people gasp and murmer to each other about who that could possibly be, and why it wasn't Ivypool.

The girl came closer to the camera and I waited for Dovewing to freeze the screen so we could read the note she had. Only, there was no note. More proof that this wasn't Ivypool; she spoke instead of holding up a note.

The girl's voice was swift and smooth, her tone icy and warm and creepy all at once. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dovewing turn up the volume.

"Greetings," the girl whispered. She spoke with the aura of falling frozen snow. "I know who you are, and you need not be afraid. I come to tell you that there are others like you." The girl paused and glanced behind her, probably to make sure no one was there. "Your two friends have not spoken of you to me, but I have watched them. They aren't like the other warriors here. They have you. They are not on the Dark Forest's side."

I gasped and held by breath. This girl... she knew about Ivypool and Breezepelt? She knew about us? Who's side was she on? This could be a trick! And what did she mean by "there are others like us"? Was she a spy too? I shivered and leaned back against the wall as the mysterious girl continued speaking.

"In due time, I will tell you more, just as I will your friends. For now, I can tell you this. Remember the Lunakee, you are in need of assisstance."

I winced as her face suddenly darkened as she told us the second thing.

"A shadow walks among you. Find it. Your greatest enemy lives within."